Shawn P. Napier - Orlando, FL

I graduated from Colonial High School in Orlando, Florida. Almost immediately upon graduation I began working for Delta Airlines as a ramp agent at the Orlando International Airport while I started my college career at Valencia Community College on a full academic scholarship. After graduating from Valencia, I started at the University of Central Florida, again on a full tuition academic scholarship, where I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. I was the first person in my immediate family to graduate from college, and only the second person from my extended family to graduate from college. After graduating from UCF, I took a year off to continue working at Delta Airlines while my wife finished her degree at UCF. We saved money for my entry into law school. In total, I worked at Delta for almost five years. While my work at Delta was not a formal education, it taught me a great deal about life and how to work effectively with people from all walks of life. From co-workers on the ramp, to pilots, and to customers, I have interacted with a wide range of people in my life. This invaluable experience has continued to serve me well in the practice of law.

After graduating from UCF, my wife and I relocated to Ohio for law school. I attended Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio, where I earned a Trustee’s Merit Scholarship. While at Capital, I worked as a Teaching Assistant for a Legal Researching and Writing Professor and served as a staff member on the Capital University Law Review. During my last year at Capital my law review article, a critical analysis on the United States Supreme Court’s decision in City of Chicago v. Morales, was published in Volume 29, Issue 3 of the law review. Also during my last year at Capital I was chosen to serve as Managing Editor of the Capital University Law Review, which entailed managing the publication of all four issues of Volume 29. I graduated from Capital with honors, earning Order of the Curia and Magna Cum Laude honors. I was the first person in my entire family to graduate from law school. Immediately after graduation, I took and passed the Ohio bar exam and began clerking for an Ohio Court of Appeals judge. Later, I worked as a prosecutor for the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and then the United States Attorney's Office in Orlando, Florida.

Other than my desire to be a major league baseball catcher, I have wanted to be a lawyer for as long as I can remember. Growing up I did not know any lawyers so all I knew about lawyers was what I read in books or saw on television. To me, being a lawyer was the pinnacle of success and respect. The lawyers I read about and watched on television protected the rights of those who could not protect themselves and represented the interests of those who needed help. I was struck by fictional lawyers like Atticus Finch, Jake Brigance, and Lt. Daniel Kaffee, and their honesty, integrity, and dedication to ensuring that their clients’ needs were met at any expense. I was also inspired by real life lawyers Thurgood Marshall, Clarence Darrow, and Gerry Spence. Each of these lawyers inspired me to put people first and use the law to make the world a better place.

Put simply, I have chosen to practice criminal defense to make a difference. I have seen firsthand how lawyers have the power to impact people's lives on a daily basis. After graduating from law school my dad was charged with serious crimes resulting from his work as a bail bondsman. I knew then that my dad was not properly charged and felt that he was charged in order to send a political message. After watching the trial and seeing how the prosecution and defense handled the case, I decided I wanted to be a prosecutor so that I could ensure that only righteous cases were charged. But the longer I was a prosecutor the more I realized the importance of a quality criminal defense. I reflected on my dad’s case and realized the difference a quality defense made in his case, which resulted in my dad’s acquittal by a jury. As a prosecutor, I have seen the difference quality criminal defense makes in people’s lives. Quite literally quality criminal defense has meant the difference between years in prison and sometimes guilty verdicts and/or pleas that were unnecessary, redundant, and wrong. There is a need for quality criminal defense attorneys who can empathize and understand how to navigate the criminal justice system. I have been on the defense side of the table. I have sat with my dad as he contemplated whether to plead guilty to a crime he believed he did not commit to avoid a trial for himself and his family. I have sat on the defense side as a jury deliberated my dad’s fate. I have also sat on the prosecution side and know what the prosecution is thinking, how they investigate cases, and how they prosecute cases. I am bringing all of those experiences to this firm to help people navigate the criminal justice system.